Professional photographic studios are rooms which have been specifically set up to afford professional photographs to be taken in them. They will therefore contain photographic lighting equipment, some props and even some costumes. In the Pro Image Studio in London for instance, there is a choice of two different studio rooms, each set up with different props and different lighting. If you rent one of these studios but do not have the appropriate camera and accessories needed to take the type of photographs you want, most studios will rent you their equipment at an extra cost and so you will have everything you need to take professional quality photographs. The one thing you won’t have though is the experience of a professional photographer and that is essential if you are to take the best possible photographs. Although we are by now all used to taking snaps with the cameras on our cell phones, professional photography is more than just pointing and clicking. The cameras on cell phones, regardless of how modern they are, are all automatic cameras which means they will automatically focus on whatever they are pointed at and they will automatically set the shutter speed depending on the light conditions.

Professional cameras though can usually be either automatic or manual which allows the photographer alternatives to standard shots. The cameras also come with multiple lenses, perhaps ones for long distance shots, another for close ups and perhaps another with a wide vision to allow for more panoramic views. When the different lenses are used, different shutter speeds and lighting requirements are needed, perhaps enlarging or reducing the camera lenses aperture. For instance, if you point an automatic camera like the one on your cell phone towards someone, that person may come out perfectly clear but the background could be blurred which is fine if you wanted the photo to be of that person but if you wanted to get a photograph of what was behind them, you would have difficulties. Of all the elements that make a good photograph, apart from the equipment that is used, perhaps the most important element is the amount of light available and that is why professional photographers like to use a studio as much as possible. In a professional photographic studio, all the environmental conditions can be controlled by the photographer. They can add light where it is needed or reduce the light if that would be preferable.

Obviously with the use of props they can set whatever scene they wish to make the photograph more appealing. When photographs are taken out doors, all too often as hot is ruined due to rain, cloud cover or perhaps just a strong breeze. In a studio though, there is no danger of rain, there are no clouds and the only breeze is one created by the use of a fan should the photograph call for it. Although a photographic studio may not serve much purpose if you are using a cell phone camera, with the equipment a professional photographer has, they can make all the difference.